Chapter Ten
Safe in the carriage, huddled against Duncan, eyes burning from so much crying, Merry dabbed at her face with her delicate handkerchief and refused to weep any more.
It was time to be calm and find a solution to this terrible problem, if there was a solution to be had.
Whenever she spoke, she croaked like a frog with her poor, raw throat, but things needed to be said.
“Brixham said he had already obtained a special license.”
“Chance will speak to the archbishop,” Serendipity said from the seat across from Merry.
Duncan held her tighter, but remained silent other than snorting his disgust.
Merry agreed with him completely. “It will do no good, Seri. You know that,” she said.
“The archbishop never cancels or revokes a special license, not when it might make it appear as if those he oversees failed in the research on the couple to be wed.” The Archbishop of Canterbury considered himself above error, and anything that made His Grace look otherwise was simply not entertained.
More tears welled in her eyes, but she fought not to shed them. “Brixham and I would have to marry, and then have the marriage annulled.” Stomach churning at that prospect, she hugged her middle, trying not to cast up her accounts in the carriage. “I wish I had killed him with that candelabrum.”
“I wish you had too.” Hatred filled Serendipity’s voice. “May Mama and Papa forgive us both.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” Duncan said, his deep voice a throaty growl. “That bastard should die for what he attempted.”
Merry sniffed, then fumbled with her poor, crumpled handkerchief. Wiping her eyes and patting at her nose, she eked out a sad laugh. “I fear I did a great deal of damage to Lady Atterley’s parlor. We must offer her compensation for everything I broke.”
With an impatient huff, Serendipity waved away her words. “Lady Atterley will be most understanding, I am sure, and Chance will see everything is made right.”
“I still cannot believe it happened.” Merry rested her head on Duncan’s chest, grateful for the safety of his arms. “And now, I am caught in that cruel devil’s web. Whatever shall I do to escape?”
“I shall challenge the bastard to a duel.” Duncan shifted with a deep breath. The soft wool of his plaid beneath her cheek tickled her nose and comforted her with his familiar scent of the crisp, clean outdoors, citrus, and the finest leather.
She caught hold of his hand and squeezed. “Do not speak of such. I will not risk you to that fool. He would probably cheat so he could kill you.”
Duncan snorted again. “I could cheat first and kill him.”
“No dueling. Not by you or Chance. Please—I beg you.” She hugged closer, tucking herself against him. “And you are not the sort to cheat. As honorable as you are, you might not do it properly and still lose your life.”
“During the war, Malcolm was quite impressive when shooting from a great distance.”
She pushed herself upright and arched a brow at him. “And then he would be hanged for murdering a peer. Brixham is not worth it.”
“Once all of us reach home, Chance and Malcolm included,” Serendipity said, “I feel certain we will come up with a way to foil that dastardly man.”
“We had best make haste about it.” Merry pulled her cloak closer as they neared Broadmere House. “You know as well as I that the rumors will start tomorrow.”
“But no one saw ye leave.” Duncan helped her with her cloak. “We made certain of it.”
“But they know we all left early,” she said, “after making a show of ourselves dancing and telling Lady Atterley of our engagement. The tongue-waggers will wonder why we left, and I feel certain Brixham will waste no time unleashing the rumors he claimed to have purchased with those lying witnesses.”
The only bright point in the debacle came to her.
“Perhaps he’ll not do so immediately, though, after the thrashing you gave him, and then the second pummeling by Chance and Lord Malcolm.
But I have no doubt he will eventually do so, if he hasn’t already.
He may have instructed his hired witnesses to spread the word as soon as I disappeared from the ballroom.
” She closed her eyes and held her aching head. “What a horrible mess.”
Duncan hooked a finger under her chin and gently lifted her face to his. His gaze was intense and all-consuming as he barely shook his head. “I will protect ye, my own. Yer reputation as well as yer life. Rest as easy as ye can in the knowledge that I will make everything all right.”
“But how?”
“Every evil has a weakness. We will find it and use it to destroy him.”
“And you are not alone,” Serendipity said as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of Broadmere House. “Remember what Mama and Papa always said?”
“Family takes care of family.” In a way, Merry was glad Papa and Mama weren’t here. This would upset them so. “Papa would trick Brixham into attending a hunt and set the hounds on him right before he shot him.”
Duncan chuckled. “Yer father sounds as though he was a verra wise man.”
“He was.” Merry sniffed again, then gave up any attempts at ladylike behavior and blew her nose like a trumpet. “Forgive me. I hate crying. It always does this to me.”
“There is nothing to forgive, my own.” Duncan exited the carriage, helped Lady Serendipity out, then reached for Merry. “Ye fought well tonight, lass. Ye earned each and every tear.”
Fipps opened the front door before they even reached it. “Lady Serendipity?”
“Yes, Fipps, I know we are home early. We need a tray of cold meats, a proper tea, brandy, port, and whisky, and plenty of everything. It looks to be a long night.” Draping her cloak over his arm, she handed him her reticule and gloves as well.
“Yes, my lady. Right away.” After gathering everyone else’s things, the butler hurried away to do her bidding.
Merry curled up in the corner of one of the settees in the parlor, hugging her knees to her chest. She didn’t care that a proper lady would never sit in such a manner.
Polite Society’s etiquette had not protected her tonight.
By heavens, she would do whatever she wished.
“Might someone stoke the fire? I feel so very cold.”
Duncan hurried to the hearth and soon had it blazing. Sitting beside her, he pulled her into his arms and held her. “If ye fall ill from this, I shall shoot that bastard without setting the dogs on him.”
Mildly surprised that Serendipity wasn’t clearing her throat for them to move apart and sit at a more respectable distance, Merry lifted her head and eyed her sister. “Do you consider me beyond chaperoning, Seri? Disappointingly sullied?”
Jaw dropping in shock, Serendipity stared at her. “Of course not. Why in heaven’s name would you ask such a thing?”
“Because your hawkishness suddenly appears a bit lax.”
“I know Duncan is a gentleman with your best interests at heart, and my hawkishness already failed you once tonight when I allowed you to leave the ballroom unattended. I should have gone with you.” Serendipity pinched the bridge of her nose as though her head ached as well.
“Between the two of us, perhaps we could have stopped that despicable fool.” She dropped her hand to her side, tears in her eyes.
“I failed you, Merry. Please forgive me.”
Dismayed at her sister’s unfounded guilt, Merry hurried over and pulled her into a hug. “You did not fail me. You waited for Duncan just as I asked, and it wasn’t as though we knew I was headed to that devil. We both thought I was going to visit Lady Evelyn.”
Chance and Malcolm arrived, looking as spent as Merry felt.
“Now what the blazes has happened?” Chance asked.
“Nothing more than has already happened,” Merry said as she returned to her seat beside Duncan. She forced herself to sit a bit more properly this time, for her brother’s peace of mind. She had to take back her control. Brixham would not be allowed to best her. “What did you do with Brixham?”
“Lord Atterley had him removed,” Chance said.
“With our help,” Malcolm added.
“And the footman who assisted him has been dismissed without a reference.” Chance scrubbed a hand across his face and went to stand in front of the fire.
“Lord and Lady Atterley appeared sympathetic, as did Lady Kirkston.” He nodded at Duncan.
“One of Lady Atterley’s maids accompanied your mother home so she wouldn’t have to make the carriage ride alone.
Malcolm informed her of this evening’s details.
I believe she was going home to load all of your guns and oil your swords. ”
Duncan nodded. “That sounds like Mother. I am glad she nay felt deserted by her sons.”
“She took a great liking to ye,” Malcolm said to Merry. “I told her how ye fought that cur and had him good and bloodied before we finally found ye.”
The ominous detail crushing her chest kept her from smiling. “Chance—did he tell you he had already obtained a special license?”
Her brother raked a hand through his hair, mussing the fashionable blond cut. “He mumbled something along those lines. I hoped it to be a lie, but we found the dratted thing inside his coat pocket.”
“You should have thrown it into the fire,” Serendipity said.
“You know that would have done no good.” Chance sagged into a chair beside the hearth. “The bloody thing is recorded at the ecclesiastical court at Doctors’ Commons.”
Merry covered her face with her hands and groaned. “I am as good as married to that arse.”
“Ye are not,” Duncan said so loudly that everyone jumped. “Ye’ve not spoken the vows in front of a vicar, nor have ye signed the marriage contract or the marriage lines in a parish register.”
“We can bring charges against him,” Chance said, his tone less than hopeful. “But you know as well as I do that the House of Lords would side with him because there are no witnesses and no evidence of his harming you.”
“I know,” Merry said, a sense of despondency settling across her. “I am a mere woman, and my word means nothing.”